Team guide: McLaren Mercedes

According to the British press they act as vehicle suppliers to Lewis Hamilton. In reality they are the UK's most successful team of the past decade, highly-strung engineering geniuses, bristling with hi-tech know-how and clever ideas, with a penchant for conspiracy theories and paranoia. Also known as the kings of paddock Winnebago oneupmanship, with an edifice that wouldn't look out of place nestling in a Beverly Hills cul-de-sac. They also never knowingly miss a PR opportunity. It all adds to the impression that they are the sport's Mariah Carey.

Highlight of 2008

Killed two birds with one stone at Interlagos when Hamilton won the drivers' title in nail-biting fashion at Interlagos by taking the one-point lead he required with only a couple of corners to go and tricking rivals Ferrari into believing they had triumphed. They took almost as much pleasure from the schadenfreude of pulling the carpet from beneath the Italians' Gucci-clad feet as they did in Hamilton's success.

How they see themselves

More to them than a wonderfully talented driver, they are a well-oiled winning machine committed to victory in every race they start. After 2007's spy scandal and £50m fine they could be forgiven for an "us against the world" attitude.

Honest assessment

Pretty close to their own, if a little bit too smug, possibly with good reason. Without last year's distractions they have no excuses for losing focus on Hamilton's attempt to retain his title. And they need to be gunning for constructors' honours, too.

Can they survive the recession?

They are as close as it gets to safe in the current climate. The McLaren group includes road car, electronics and marketing sub-divisions. Last year they had resources totalling £380m, the second-highest in the business.

Who's in charge?

Martin Whitmarsh took over from Ron Dennis as team principal in March. But Dennis, who will attend most races, remains chairman of the McLaren group as a whole, so they could end up with a Sir Matt Busby/Wilf McGuinness situation on their hands. Expect an even more corporate air if slightly more comprehensible briefings.

The car

The team are confident it will exploit the potential offered by the new regulations. In other words, they expect to be the best. Given their enormous resources, this car had better deliver.

Drivers' relationship

Pretty good but Heikki Kovalainen needs to get over junior partner syndrome before it ruins his career and defines him as a perennial No2. It won't be easy as Hamilton's confidence is sky-high and he revels in his status as national hero and poster-boy - collected his MBE this year.

Worst-case scenario

Hamilton loses his mojo and the team's gloss disappears overnight, forcing Ronzilla to return from his island redoubt, resume control and show the sport what it has been missing with a series of opaque pronouncements.

Maurice Hamilton's crystal ball

Hamilton 2nd; Kovalainen 7th.

Constructors' title odds 6-4.

If they were in kids' TV ...

Sportacus

There's no one faster around Lazy Town than the healthy-living fitness fanatic. You kind of admire them because you can see they put a lot of effort in, but on the other hand is annoyingly preachy and self-righteous. Not living in the place from which he derives his fame makes you root for the other guys, however sinister they might be